Free People Horoscopes, December 17-23

It’s a tricky week in the zodiac, but your sign may navigate the intricacies with more ease than most. That’s because Mercury and Venus are socializing and warming up Sagittarius, offsetting the other more problematic planetary goings-on. Your expectations of others, your monetary or confidence shortfall and a chapter in your life that is drawing to a close all jostle each other now and create friction within you. Go with the flow when it comes to what you hope to get from other people, and don’t let yourself go into reactive mode. The more you make this week about projecting the joy of the season outward instead of waiting for it to come to you, the better off you’ll be.

CAPRICORN

December 22–January 19

If you can avoid blowing details out of proportion and hoping to get everything just so this week, you’ll be a happier camper. Bombastic Jupiter is caught between a rock and a hard place with power-trip Pluto in Capricorn and authoritative Saturn in your network sector, upping the chances that you’ll attempt to exert your influence over people and events. As the life-giving sun enters your sign, signified by the winter solstice, remind yourself to lead by example rather than by control. To soothe any tension that arises now, get back to basics with some form of spirituality and time at home or with family. Finding a sense of inner peace is essential, especially if your relatives are acting up.

AQUARIUS

January 20–February 18

Do yourself a favor and yield when it seems necessary this week, because several planets are forming awkward angles to each other, calling us to alter our expectations. Work obligations or rigid goals could sap your joie de vivre, as could repressed anger or some other subversive element in your psyche. Your desire to do what pleases you may be at odds with the wishes of others, so consider going along to get along. You’re likely to derive greater pleasure from being around plenty of people now than from pursuing your own aims. Impromptu social encounters will boost your spirits immeasurably. Get swept up in all the hustle and bustle and you’ll see how it’s possible to find yourself by losing yourself.

PISCES

February 19–March 20

Keep your eyes on the prize as potentially confusing planetary influences swirl around you. If you expect home and family to be the perfect safe haven from whatever you’re dealing with in the outside world, you could end up disappointed. Turbulence with friends or a group you’re associated with, travel difficulties and a cynical outlook could all darken your mood. But focusing on your goals will go a long way in improving it. With wordy Mercury and artsy Venus in your career angle, you might try journaling about your ambitions or making a mood board that represents your game plan. Or play around on Pinterest, with each image symbolizing an objective. But don’t make it a solitary week, since time with friends and family can be a joy if you make sure not to prejudge anything or anyone.

ARIES

March 21–April 19

A big part of you, the part that you identify with most closely, is simply hungry for freedom and inspiration. But another part of you is engaged in an inner struggle over major issues like security, life direction, power, mortality and sexuality. This week’s planetary arrangements will make it evident that these discrepant sides of you all require your consideration, but are rightfully resistant to integration. Work on acknowledging and attending to such disparate feelings without trying to synthesize them. In modern monotheistic society, we equate wholeness with oneness, but our complexities are not necessarily meant to be unified. To brighten your week, be open to beauty in all its guises and allow it to inspirit you. Expand your circle of people, possibly through travel, and learn from the differences you encounter.

TAURUS

April 20–May 20

During a week when your ruler, Venus, blends and differs with four other planets, you’d be wise to pay attention to what Venus might be trying to teach you. She’s in the fearless sign of Sagittarius and the intimacy sector of your chart now, getting along well with liberating Uranus in your house of self-undoing. The love goddess is also making contact with expansive Jupiter in your worth zone, mature Saturn in your partnership angle and transformative Pluto in your perspective house. A complicated lesson to be sure. Have the courage to get close to people. Release patterns of behavior that undermine you. Grow your self-image. Commit to deeper relationships. Shed an old philosophy that will not carry you any further. Invest your emotions in a future that you believe in wholeheartedly.

GEMINI

May 21–June 20

This week brings mixed messages, with Mercury, your ruler, opposing Jupiter in Gemini and Jupiter contending with three other planets. The trouble you’ve been having with merging—your efforts, your money, your resources, your private life—bubbles to the surface. And the difficulties you’re experiencing with work, health or responsibilities also come into play. All of these challenges are at odds now with the optimism that Jupiter has imbued you with over the course of the last six months. If you’ve taken on more than you can handle, you’re feeling the resulting tension. You’ll have to keep tweaking things, but luckily, you’re one of the most flexible signs. The best stress reliever at the moment is simple: your feelings of goodwill for others. You should find it fairly easy to converse with and relate to people this week, so take advantage of the amiability in the air.

CANCER

June 21–July 22

Although you have a wellspring of faith tucked away in your subconscious, it runs up against outside forces this week. A friend or significant other may make you feel disempowered or inadequate. Or you could just as easily do it to yourself, perhaps thinking that what you have to offer romantically or creatively doesn’t measure up. Or a situation you’re in may cause you to doubt that you’re fully in control of your own destiny. Your sign is quite concerned with security, and when the vibrant sun crosses your relationship angle, approaching potent Pluto, you may experience the uncertainty that comes with the awareness of your reliance on others. To regain your equilibrium, devote your energy to taking care of business—work, errands, daily duties—and taking care of yourself—getting enough sleep, eating healthfully and exercising regularly.

LEO

July 23–August 22

With hopeful Jupiter in your group sector the last six months, a sense of belonging has been highly important to you. But this week, Jupiter forms uncomfortable angles to withholding Saturn in your home angle and overpowering Pluto in your job zone. Changes in your work, a power struggle with colleagues and family problems could all leave you feeling disconnected. Not knowing where you fit in can be destabilizing, but sources of joy like romance, creativity, children and play will keep you going. The ongoing shifts in your family or home and your work or routine are maturing you. And with maturation comes growing pains. You will find your place again as you begin to understand what today’s version of you brings to the group—and what you’re seeking from your associations with others.

VIRGO

August 23–September 22

Your aspirations to leave a meaningful mark on the world have kept you looking towards the future lately, but you may feel deflated this week by negative thinking and something intense going on between you and your children or you and a love interest. If you’ve been withdrawing socially, that isolation is not helping you to maintain faith in the positive impact you can have. And turmoil in your personal life is not promoting an optimistic outlook either. Family, home and people who know you very well may go a long way now in freeing you from any gloominess that’s beset you. You need to be reminded of your emotional roots and the resilience that they give you to go out there and achieve whatever you set your mind to.

LIBRA

September 23–October 22

Your aptitude for balance will prove useful this week when several discordant themes compete for your attention. You want to believe that next year is going to be grand. Maybe you’ll travel, take classes, meet new, interesting people—and all of it will expand your mind and give you a new lease on life. But Pluto’s rumblings in your domestic angle and Saturn’s restrictions in your resources zone are undercutting your enthusiasm. Childhood issues, family problems, real estate predicaments, financial constraints and flagging self-esteem could all burst your bubble. Keeping busy and social— especially rendezvous with siblings, neighbors and friends—will ease you over this rough patch. Any form of communication that connects you with the people you care about is important now, so get those holiday cards out the door with a personal message attached or go visit someone you miss.

SCORPIO

October 23–November 21

Expectant Jupiter in your sharing sector gets rubbed the wrong way by your ruler, Pluto, in your cognitive zone and Saturn in Scorpio this week. This planetary configuration makes it difficult to know what you’ll get from others, but it also urges you to concentrate on what you’ll get from yourself. If you’ve pinned your hopes on external sources of enrichment (financial and otherwise), it’s not that you need to teach yourself to expect nothing and get nothing. But you’ll feel more secure now if you put your efforts into your own productivity and potential. Your mentality has been undergoing a subtle but profound transformation, and you’re learning to take yourself more seriously. Being open to changes in your routine, your work and the nature of your relationships will allow you to continue to attract blessings now.